Chapter 5 - The Mastermind
The safety inspector kept the heavy pistol aimed squarely at my beating heart.
His name was Richard, and he smiled at me with absolute, chilling malice.
I instantly realized why my job sites in Dallas were constantly plagued by mysterious equipment failures.
Richard had been intentionally sabotaging the heavy machinery to perfectly orchestrate a fatal accident.
He and Evelyn were actively working together to eventually collect the massive three million dollar payout.
I asked Richard how much of my stolen child support money Evelyn was paying him for this plot.
Richard laughed loudly and said Evelyn was directly funding his massive underground gambling debts.
Evelyn walked over and calmly picked up Sarah's beautiful jewelry box.
She told Richard to shoot me in the chest and claim I broke into the house as a violent intruder.
I knew I had to act immediately or Maya would be left completely alone in this cruel world.
I calculated the short distance between myself and the dark barrel of the gun.
Before Richard could pull the trigger, the front door violently crashed open.
Maya ran into the living room screaming my name at the top of her lungs.
She had ignored my strict orders to stay safely hidden behind the oak tree outside.
Richard panicked at the sudden noise and swung the heavy pistol toward my ten-year-old daughter.
I roared with absolute fury and lunged recklessly across the shattered champagne glass.
I tackled Richard to the ground just as the deadly weapon fired.
The deafening gunshot echoed violently through the entire house.
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I felt a burning pain slice cleanly across my left shoulder.
I looked up in sheer terror to see if my brave daughter had been hit.
